Chapter 1066: Cold Wind Breaks Proud Bones, Plum Fragrance Grows Stronger — The Seven Sword Immortal Mei Siren Makes His Appearance

Three breaths?Make a life-or-death decision?Am I not allowed to think? Even Bazun An didn't threaten me like this when he wanted me in the White Cave! You're bullying me!

In his invisible state, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't hold back and started muttering curses, feeling frantic.But the next second, he suddenly understood why Jiang Buyi had abruptly ended their conversation and demanded an immediate decision, because...

"Beep, beep, beep..."The sound of the communication symbol was still methodical, but at one point, it emitted a faint light. A subtle guiding force formed in Xu Xiaoshou's mind, directing him to look in a certain direction.

Within Jiang Buyi's Sacred Domain, Xu Xiaoshou's "perception" was already disrupted, making it impossible for him to see clearly outside.Yet, when he turned his gaze now, he discovered an incredibly clear figure in the hazy world beyond the Sacred Domain.

It was an old man, dressed in a pale purple swordsman's robe, holding a folding fan. His demeanor was exceptionally graceful and ethereal.Aside from the two stone swords on his back, which slightly affected his aura, he resembled an exiled immortal, radiating a faint glow like a savior, as if an angel had descended.

"Mr. Meijiren?" Xu Xiaoshou was overjoyed.

He recognized this person; it was the guest elder of the First Pavilion in the Sky, who had left shortly after the night battle in Wangcheng following his failed attempt to take a disciple, and his whereabouts had been unknown since.He never expected that, at his most critical moment, this person would appear steadfastly outside Jiang Buyi's Sacred Domain, holding the communication symbol.

A stabilizing force!What else could he be but a savior?Meijiren... right now! You! Are my god!

"No, wait, is Mr. Meijiren qualified? Jiang Buyi is a Half-Saint..." Xu Xiaoshou quickly calmed down again, his heart beginning to pound.

"No, that's not right... So what if he's a Half-Saint? Mr. Meijiren is one of the oldest of the Seven Sword Immortals! With his talent, he would have become a Half-Saint long ago; why would he wait until now?"Xu Xiaoshou then recalled his conversation with Mr. Meijiren that night, trying to comfort himself, "He just doesn't want to become a Saint right now; that doesn't mean he can't fight a Half-Saint!"

After finding a way to reassure himself and realizing that someone had finally arrived, Xu Xiaoshou was no longer humble.Controlling the portrait clone, which now only had half a body, he directly met Jiang Buyi's gaze and spoke emphatically:

"Half-Saint Jiang! This junior respects you, which is why my words were deferential before."

"But you should know, even when Bazun An invited me to join the Holy Slaves that day, he never threatened me like this!"His half-body floated in the air, and with a flick of his sleeve, his voice gained a hint of anger: "My life, Xu Xiaoshou, is hard. I was born unable to bend my knee!"

"Crack!"The words had barely settled when Jiang Buyi's eyelids lifted, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and Xu Xiaoshou's portrait clone instantly broke at the waist, shattering into spiritual energy with a cry of "Ugh!"

"What a pity, you made the wrong decision..."Killing intent surged in Jiang Buyi's eyes. He had intended to strike directly, but suddenly, he turned his gaze to the distance, as if realizing something.

"I was just wondering what made your words suddenly become so defiant. So it's because... you saw this person outside the domain?"

A 'tap' sound.A hundred miles away, everything in the world seemed to slow down.Gentle footsteps entered the Sacred Domain, yet they reached Jiang Buyi's and Xu Xiaoshou's ears from afar.

"Half-Saint Jiang, your words seem a little disdainful..."Accompanying this soft chuckle, Meijiren gently fanned himself with his paper fan. His steps were neither fast nor slow, traversing vast distances as if inches, and in just three steps, he arrived before Jiang Buyi.

He smiled, meeting the murderous Jiang Buyi's gaze directly. Though not a single trace of Saint power emanated from him, his aura showed no weakness.Standing firm, Meijiren closed his folding fan, gently tapped his palm, and asked with a smile, "Half-Saint Jiang, does even this old man not have the right to provide a slight sense of reassurance?"

"Mr. Meijiren, save me—"In his invisible state, Xu Xiaoshou was on the verge of tears.This was too powerful; he would call Mr. Meijiren's entrance the coolest ever!Now, unless Bazun An personally appeared, Xu Xiaoshou felt that his strongest person in his mind needed to be updated.

Meijiren, in the guise of a Sword Immortal, resisted a Half-Saint without falling into a disadvantage.This calm and unhurried demeanor, compared to the Void Attendant who was instantly killed by one punch, or Teng Shanha who was pierced through the chest by a palm... they were simply incomparable, weren't they?!Though both were Grand Void, the difference was like heaven and earth!

He hadn't known the ranking of the Seven Sword Immortals' combat power before, but now Xu Xiaoshou understood.Among the Grand Voids and Sword Immortals, Bazun An, Meijiren, and others formed their own tier. Below them would be the likes of Gou Wuyue and Rao Yaoyao, while the Void Attendant and Teng Shanha would fall to an even lower rank?

To single-handedly carve out a "realm" between Half-Saint and Grand Void, named after themselves—that's what a true powerhouse is! That's what peak power is!

However, just as this thought blossomed in Xu Xiaoshou's mind, and he believed he was about to be saved, Jiang Buyi's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his aura changed dramatically.

"Boom!"Half-Saint Jiang Buyi merely narrowed his eyes, solidifying his killing intent slightly. Within a hundred-mile radius, space shattered, and everything was renewed.The nine heavens seemed to plummet into a cold abyss, and the scenery transformed.Feathery snow began to fall, and the biting cold wind that instantly arose seemed capable of freezing every Spirit Cultivator below the Half-Saint realm to death.

Even the invisible Xu Xiaoshou involuntarily shivered, his scalp tingling as if electrocuted, feeling affected even across different times and spaces.

"Meijiren..."Jiang Buyi shook his head slightly, disbelief in his eyes.He never imagined that with the Miracle Forest's deadly attributes activated, someone would still dare to come here, dare to invade his Sacred Domain, and moreover, it was such an unexpected figure!

Immediately, Jiang Buyi sneered mockingly, "Meijiren, do you realize what kind of shift your stance will undergo from now on, having entered this situation?"Holy Slaves, nothing more than that!

Meijiren smiled, understanding everything in his heart.He should have declared his stance to the world long ago, right after saving Xu Xiaoshou during the night battle in East Heaven Royal City.But Xu Xiaoshou hadn't needed him to act then, so Meijiren had simply felt that this opportunity had arrived a little late, though it was of no great importance.

"Whoosh, whoosh!"The swirling cold wind pierced through his robes.A Half-Saint's wrath could bring about a transformation of all things, enough to crush an ordinary Grand Void.But Meijiren stood with a straight spine, his body like a spear, without the slightest tremor.

"This old man has his own plans, so Half-Saint Jiang needn't worry. It's just about this person you have now..." He scanned around but couldn't find Xu Xiaoshou's figure.If not for the communication talisman in his possession, Meijiren would have thought Xu Xiaoshou had already slipped away. Facing the Half-Saint's oppressive aura, he chuckled lightly, "This old man wishes to take him away, Half-Saint Jiang, could you grant me this small favor?"

"Hmph!"Jiang Buyi scoffed. With a boom, the ground beneath Meijiren crumbled, sinking several yards instantly."What do you think?"

That terrifying Half-Saint's oppressive aura emerged with his sinking voice. Jiang Buyi hadn't even truly made a move, yet even the invisible Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but recoil in alarm.This imposing presence was even more dreadful than when he faced Teng Shanha!

Xu Xiaoshou stared blankly at the space in front of Jiang Buyi...Within the hundred-mile Sacred Domain, two distinct poles formed!The harsh winter brought by Jiang Buyi permeated the entire Sacred Domain, and he stood unmoving, for this was his home ground.But after just one glance, while Meijiren's foot position remained unchanged, the ground behind him shattered and collapsed, making him noticeably lower than his opponent.This was an oppressive force at the level of aura!

Yet, it was at this moment that Xu Xiaoshou could still glimpse a withered branch stubbornly poking out from the cracks in the shattered earth, crushed by the Half-Saint's oppressive aura.A speck of new green emerged in the harsh winter, transforming into a deep red plum blossom, which then fully bloomed.

"This..."Xu Xiaoshou's pupils constricted.From just that single red plum blossom, he felt a powerful will contained within it, no weaker than Half-Saint Jiang Buyi's!

"Half-Saint power?""No! There's no Saint power fluctuation at all; this is merely an embodiment of Mr. Meijiren's will?""But Mr. Meijiren hasn't even broken through to Half-Saint yet, so how can he alter the celestial phenomena and change the situation within a Half-Saint's Sacred Domain?"

On one side stood Jiang Buyi, facing him with cold sternness, standing on level ground.On the other was Meijiren, with the ground collapsing around him, yet still standing on the single unchanging stone pillar beneath his feet.They were diametrically opposed!Standing in defiance!

"But one is a Half-Saint, and the other is a Sword Immortal, a Grand Void!""Even Rao Yaoyao couldn't withstand one of Jiang Buyi's moves, and Mr. Meijiren is just one of the Seven Sword Immortals, like her..."

Xu Xiaoshou stared blankly at the two sides, equally matched, then glanced at Meijiren, whose defiant spirit seemed even more pronounced due to the sunken ground. He felt a surge of heroic pride in his heart, indescribable.Shouldn't we, the sword cultivators, be like this?The cold wind shatters proud bones, yet the plum blossom's fragrance grows only stronger!

Jiang Buyi had now seen the true combat power of the world-renowned "Mr. Meijiren." With a hint of admiration in his eyes, he slowly said, "So, you have touched upon the Saint Dao, and will soon be able to become a Saint?"

Meijiren faced the Half-Saint, seemingly ambiguous, yet in reality, vigilant.In response to this question, he lightly tapped his paper fan, a smile in the corner of his eye, and replied, "Becoming a Half-Saint is but a fleeting thought; freedom, however, is what this old man has sought his entire life."

These words seemed to hit a sore spot for Jiang Buyi. His eyes narrowed, his hair and beard flew wildly, and his posture became even more arrogant. He roared, "But as long as you don't become a Saint, you won't be able to defeat me!"

He didn't waste any more words.With that, Jiang Buyi angrily raised his hand, and the Saint statue, a manifestation of his Half-Saint will, rose from nothingness behind him once more, towering to the heavens.

"This is the Saint statue that annihilated Teng Shanha's body, spirit, and consciousness..." Xu Xiaoshou's pupils constricted, as if he could already see Meijiren's tragic demise, utterly destroyed under this move.

Jiang Buyi's move, "Saint-Slaying Cloud Light," was something even Rao Yaoyao, wielding the Profound Azure Divine Sword, found difficult to resist!Sure enough, as far as the eye could see, within the towering Saint statue, a "Half-Saint rank" emblem, embedded in the statue's forehead, once again erupted with endless Saint power under Jiang Buyi's invocation.

At this moment, Jiang Buyi seemed completely indifferent to whether the Miracle Forest's deadly attributes would be further provoked into madness by his full-power strike.All the Half-Saint's power converged!A beam of holy light descended from the sky!"Saint-Slaying Cloud Light!"

Holding nothing back, Jiang Buyi felt that as long as he wasn't facing another Half-Saint, there was no need for mercy or consideration.Because anyone below the Half-Saint realm, whether a Spirit Cultivator or a Sword Cultivator, who dared to defy a Half-Saint's will, was committing "blasphemy."—Blasphemers, only death awaits!

The Saint-Slaying Cloud Light descended from the sky, incredibly swift and overwhelmingly powerful.Xu Xiaoshou didn't even dare to get close, fearing that even in his invisible state, he would be instantly killed by a single blow.As he retreated, he almost threw out a portrait clone to remind Mr. Meijiren that Teng Shanha had just died by this very move.A Grand Void couldn't even resist it!Even the power of a demon god had been annihilated!

"Be careful..."However, Meijiren, standing on the trembling stone pillar, merely lifted his gaze upwards, took one look, and then lowered his eyes.

"Xu Xiaoshou, watch closely..."Meijiren murmured softly. He knew Xu Xiaoshou was still there, not having left.He also knew that his current journey wasn't just to save someone, but also to take a disciple and teach swordsmanship.And if an unacknowledged teacher were to kneel in his very first battle before his student, how could Meijiren possibly impart swordsmanship to Xu Xiaoshou?Half-Saint...So what if he's a Half-Saint?!

"Saint power is not invincible. For a Spirit Cultivator to become a Saint, unless they enter sainthood through the path of profound truths, frankly, they merely control one Saint Dao.""However, what we sword cultivators learn includes nine great sword arts, eighteen sword flows, and three thousand sword paths, encompassing all manner of attributes... The transformations of the five elements throughout the universe are all within my heart.""Even without entering the Saint realm, one can still blaspheme a Saint!"

Meijiren's initial words were alright, sounding like an explanation for Xu Xiaoshou.But the more he spoke, the more profound it became, even drawing out the Heavenly Dao of Void Island, which was normally beyond human reach, transforming into a transcendent, sacred sound that resonated throughout heaven and earth.Despite being a mortal body...At this moment, Mr. Meijiren, in the guise of a Sword Immortal, uttered sacred sounds, intending to oppose a Half-Saint!

With that, he raised his right hand in the air. With a hum, the chill of heaven and earth froze, the feathery snow hung motionless, and even time and space ceased to function for that instant.

"???" In his invisible state, endless question marks burst forth on Xu Xiaoshou's face.He seemed to understand Meijiren's intention...Was this real?Facing Half-Saint Jiang Buyi's attack, Meijiren didn't want to dodge, hide, defend, or deflect the force... He actually intended to counter it with a sword?

"Frightened, Passive Value, 1."

At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou felt as if he had returned to the Eight Palaces, back to the scene where Elder Sang suddenly appeared before him and, without explanation, declared to Yu Lingdi, "There are three ways to solve profundities."His heart clenched, wishing only that Mr. Meijiren wouldn't overdo it and drag himself into ruin as well.

Words were plentiful at the right time, but the changes in a battle were always instantaneous.The Saint-Slaying Cloud Light, capable of annihilating even the power of a demon god, was merely glanced at by Meijiren, and truly, it was halted mid-air!Even Jiang Buyi felt a sense of fantasy and unreality, yet he could perceive the changes in the surrounding Dao principles, which were inexplicably permeated with the rich essence of "time" and "space."

"Time and space attributes, every Spirit Cultivator's dream..." Jiang Buyi's eyes flickered.—The way of the sword encompasses everything; it truly doesn't deceive!

Meijiren made his move.With a pinch of his fingertips, the red plum blossom that had sprouted earlier from the deep pit underground instantly flew into his palm.